Half A Moment
by Eyeflower
Summary: Modern AU - One business, two strangers, several lives intertwined and half a moment of absolute elation. How does one live with the fallout when half a moment is too few?
1. Alcohol and heels, a lethal combination

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or any of the other fictional characters, nor do I take any credit for the general fictional idea of which this story is based on.

**Author's notes: **It's about time. I think I've been working on this chapter for about a month now. It hasn't been easy with my work hours, but I finally got some free time today to finish it. _Finally._

This story is depicted in an alternate universe, with a plot that I'm still trying to untangle into a logical theme. I guess we'll see how that goes.

Before I leave you to eagerly _(okay, wishful thinking on my part) _devour the words in this chapter, I have to mention that there are a number of sexual implications in this story, so please consider yourself warned. While they're not specifically _explicit_, the story is set up in a way that will display a lot of human emotion, including sexual desire. For this very reason, I've chosen to set the rating to M for possible strong but non-explicit adult themes, references to violence and strong coarse language.

If any of this causes discomfort, please turn back now. My wish is not to offend anyone with my writing, but to enhance the experience of reading.

Anyway, without further ado, I present to you… my newest story!

* * *

**Half A Moment**_  
Chapter one_

* * *

"_Higurashi!"_

Kagome Higurashi cringed inwardly as her superior bellowed her name over the sickeningly chipper holiday music. Being one of the senior directors of a large corporation came with its perks; she certainly did not mind the paycheck, the fancy lunches, the large hotel suites or even the long work hours… but she absolutely could not stand the annual Christmas gatherings. It was a cheap way for her superiors to invite the right kind of people, kiss the right amount of asses and leave at the end of the night with new corporate trades and gossip on who slept with whom from which company.

She brought her shot glass to her lips and threw her head back as the beverage burned her throat, downing the entire thing before shuddering under its effect. She set the empty glass down on the bar counter and stood up from the stool, smoothing her hands over her suit to make herself a little more presentable. Adjusting her skirt, she forced a smile and turned around to face her boss.

"Come, come," the short, bald man beckoned and grabbed her by the elbow, leading her across the room. "Nagano-san wants to speak with you."

A wave of sheer repulsion washed over her upon hearing her boss utter the name of the man whose business was in charge of the legal department of the company that she worked for. "Wonderful," she muttered under her breath, nearly tripping over her own heels as the dumpy man suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Regaining her composure and straightening her back, she met the stare of the man presented before her.

"Ah, Higurashi," the man, Nagano, spoke incongruously, his tone dripping with a thirst she recognized too well. She stood firm as his dark gaze wandered over the curves of her body, his sick and twisted fantasies of the two them evident in his eyes. She fought the urge to glower at him. "I heard that the board was persuaded to move along with the changes. You must give my thanks to that colleague of yours… what's his name again?"

"Miroku-sama, sir," she gritted out, feeling the rage vibrating in her chest, absolutely livid that even after four loyal years with the company, they still did not acknowledge that _her _team had accomplished what no one else had managed over the four years and that _she_ had been the driving force behind getting that deal sealed.

"Yes, yes, him," Nagano waved his hand dismissively. "He is exceptionally talented, that boy." His eyes danced with derision upon seeing the scowl on her face. "Ah, before I forget; there will be an announcement of the merger first thing in the morning."

_Merger?_ An uneasy feeling gnawed in the pit of Kagome's stomach. There had been no mention of a merger when they had offered her the assignment. Her strict orders had been to steer the company back into a financially stable situation by any means necessary, and she had accomplished a major step towards their goal after roughly seven months of trying to convince the board of directors, shareholders and stockholders to expand into more profitable fields of work. "Merger, sir? With whom, if I may be so bold to ask?" she inquired politely, dreading the answer.

"With my company," a deep voice intoned from behind her and Kagome caught herself jumping as the unexpected figure made its presence known. She whirled around and barely contained her shock as she recognized the individual, bowing hastily. "It was simply an investment."

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she spoke courteously, keeping her head bowed. "Please forgive my impudence; I meant no disrespect."

The tall figure before her did not move an inch as he stared her down. She shuddered momentarily.

She knew him. They all knew who he was. He was the lord of the west, the full-blooded youkai that ruled the companies in the western provinces, a daiyoukai, and the first born son of the late Inu no Taisho. His face had been displayed everywhere in the business world over the past few years, from billboards to magazines and tabloids.

It wasn't rare to find a youkai in this day and age, and it certainly wasn't uncommon to find a full-breed. Although many of them would often hide their true appearances through use of ancient charms and spells, humans were fully aware of their existence, ever since it had been made public centuries before Kagome's birth. However, regardless of centuries of long-winded war between the two races, it had taken decades before youkai had found their place in society. Sadly, they had established such a feat by striking fear amongst the humans and by vowing to repeat the past of warfare should the treaty be broken. While knowledge of the tension between humans and youkai was woven into the very core of every human born in this era, the human race had gradually come to accept their inferiority in the pyramid of power.

Kagome cringed slightly, not sure if it was because she was recollecting the horrible tales of the past that she had heard as a child, or if it was because of the demon lord's intense gaze. She remained perfectly still, nearly shrinking under the effects of his stare. She hadn't met many youkai in her lifetime - her family had made sure to keep her safe - but she had heard stories from her grandfather and from the people around her.

Most of them had been inconceivable tales of power and great loss, for both youkai and the human race.

This particular man caused immense chaos to spread within her, a feeling that she couldn't quite shake off. Something about him made her fear rise to the surface. It wasn't because of his wealth or the fact that he was a prominent aristocrat… his demeanor, the way he walked, talked and looked at humans; she had no doubt in her mind that he could easily wrap those slender fingers around her fragile neck and snap it without a second thought.

An unpleasant shiver ran down her spine as the white-haired daiyoukai simply brushed past her, as if completely disregarding her existence. Kagome's eyes squeezed shut for but a moment and she fought hard to squelch the growing sense of discomfort in her heart. It wasn't until she heard him speak Nagano's name that she snapped out of her trance.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm so glad that you could join us!" Nagano exclaimed. "The paperwork was finished last night and I'll have them brought to you first thing in the morning. Until then, would you like something to eat or drink? We have plenty of food. " He leaned forward slightly and made a fluid motion at Kagome. "Or perhaps a woman to satisfy… _other_ needs?" His tone held such guile that it left a bad taste in Kagome's mouth, and she knew instinctively to brace herself for the consequences of his careless tone.

"_Silence."_

She could have sworn that his command had carried throughout the entire room. The chatter immediately died off and the music stopped playing, leaving everyone in a state of surprise.

The wave of fear from the humans rushed over Sesshoumaru as everyone in the room seemed to turn to look at him, but it did not faze him in the slightest. "Human, you have one year to see this merger through; no more, no less. Mistakes will not be tolerated."

Kagome stood silent as Nagano and her own boss bobbed their heads up and down, terror manifested in their eyes. As if expecting them to get out of his way, the youkai narrowed his eyes slightly. Without wasting time, both men immediately apologized profusely and removed themselves from his sight, disappearing into the crowd. _Cowards_, she thought, the taste of disgust lingering on her tongue.

"Miko."

Her head whipped up and she met those harsh golden eyes once more. _How did he… what… did he sense it?_ Her breath caught slightly when he seemed to float across the floor, closing the gap between them. She winced and stiffened when his clawed hand reached out to cup her chin between his fingers, turning her face to one side and then to the other, as if inspecting her. Her eyes narrowed disapprovingly and she fought to contain the bile that boiled within her.

"Defiant to the core, and yet this Sesshoumaru can smell your fear," he stated flatly, not a single emotion clouding his perfectly chiseled features. He released her and Kagome nearly buckled under the force, stumbling backwards. "Pathetic."

Kagome's hands balled into fists at her sides, her instincts fighting the urge to snap at him. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Sesshoumaru-sama. I look forward to working with your people," she ground out, forcing another courteous bow. She felt a chill when he simply passed by her and disappeared as swiftly as he had appeared.

She breathed a sigh of relief and all of her emotions seemed to come flooding back at once. Fear tangled with rage into a swirl of bothersome sensations. Kagome felt herself weakening slightly under its pressure. Taking a deep breath, she raked a hand through her hair and decided that there was only one way to overcome everything that had occurred, only one way to forget, even if only for one night.

Turning, she began her determined stride towards the bar.

Three shots and several drinks later, Kagome finally succumbed to the effects of the alcohol in her body. She would have gladly kept going… if the bartender had not put an abrupt halt to her plans. "One more," she demanded, frowning as the man shook his head.

"You've had enough. Call a cab and go home, lady."

Her lips drew back into a hiss and she yanked her purse off the counter, swinging the stool around. She grasped the counter with one hand, locked her purse under her free arm and made a brave attempt to stand. However, her ankle caved slightly under her weight and she found herself toppling back over the stool. Coughing, she pushed herself up and managed to find her bearing. "Thank you for the lovely-" she fought hard to suppress a giggle. "-company. I'll be leaving now."

It was truly amazing how she managed to wobble over to the elevators in her drunken state. She couldn't even remember how she made it half-way across the tenth floor. Reaching out, she placed a palm flat on the wall beside the elevator doors to support her weight and punched the button with a swing of her purse. She let out a triumphant cry at the familiar chime of the elevator bell and the doors opened. Staggering into the elevator, Kagome leaned herself against the wall and pushed the button to the parking garage.

It took what seemed like forever to her to reach the garage. The bell chimed again and Kagome pushed herself away from the wall, walking rather shakily towards her car.

"They really need better lights in here," she muttered to herself, cursing the way the garage lighting was making it so much more difficult for her to see where she was going. It took her slamming her knee into a car, tripping over a speed bump and finally her heel getting stuck between the metal of a storm drain for Kagome to lose what little patience she possessed. Her shoe gave away an audible crack when the heel broke clean off the base and her foot twisted uncomfortably. She collapsed with a whimper and landed on all fours.

Turning over, Kagome sat down on the cold stone floor and cursed loudly. Her hands reached over to gingerly rub her now aching ankle. "Bad day," she mumbled under her breath, wincing when the pain seemed to intensify underneath her touch.

The faint sound of footsteps reached her ears and the dark-haired woman glanced up to see a figure making way towards her. "Oi, are you all right?" she heard him call out, squinting in an effort to see his face. At first, she thought her brain was playing tricks on her. Long, silver hair fell around his shoulders and swayed freely as he made his way to her side. _Sesshoumaru? Wait… no…_

A hallucination. Yes, that had to be it.

The man pocketed his keys and knelt by her side. Kagome flinched as he reached out for her ankle, an apologetic look on his face. _Okay, definitely real… _she thought, still in a daze.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he assured her, disregarding the way she glared at him. "You were a bit unsteady there. Had too much to drink?"

She hissed at his query and scooted back, rolling over slightly to support her weight on her hands with her palms flat against the cold ground as she tried to get up. "No, I have not, thank you very much."

"Here, let me help-" he began, but silenced as Kagome turned to glower at him, her dark eyes promising a great amount of pain if he as much as touched her. "Okay then," he spoke, hands held up in quiet surrender. He rose to his feet and crossed his arms over his chest while he watched her failed attempts at getting up. A grin tugged at his lips when Kagome got herself on her hands and feet with her butt elevated straight upwards. Two more failed attempts and he finally sighed.

She squeaked as an arm came about her waist, wrapped securely around her and lifted her off the ground. Flailing, she swung herself up to fall backwards flat against her captor's chest, her hands reaching down to grab a hold of the arm enveloped around her just below her breasts. Without as much as letting out a single word, he steadied her on her feet and held her there, leaning over her shoulder to get a better look at her. "Stubborn bitch," he spoke and she could swear she felt the vibrations of a growl rising from his chest against her back.

"Jerk!" she retorted briskly, turning to glower at him. A pair of strangely soothing amber eyes met her hardened gaze and for a brief second, Kagome felt herself relaxing… at least until her drunken mind registered the predicament that she had put herself in. She was at the mercy of a complete stranger, one who could have more than likely been a rapist. Feeling her fear resurfacing, she quickly dislodged herself from his grip and stumbled away, swiping her purse from the ground in her haste to get away. "Thank you for the help, but I should really head home!"

He let her go but went rigid as he noticed that she was limping rather erratically towards a car, one that he assumed was hers. "No, no, you don't. I'm not letting you drive when you're plastered. You'll get yourself killed." He reached out and grabbed her by the elbow, snatching the keys to her car from her shaky hands.

"H-hey!" she protested. "Let go of me!"

"No," he replied gruffly, ignoring her attempts to swat at him with her fists. "Do you work here?"

Kagome stopped struggling for a bit and frowned at his question. "What?"

"Do you work here?" he repeated slowly, gesturing with his free hand as if she were daft. "It's a simple question."

"Yes, I work here. What does that have to do with anything?" she bit back, giving him the best glare she could muster despite being inebriated.

"Good. You can pick up your car in the morning."

Kagome flailed desperately as he unexpectedly began dragging her away from her car by her arm. "W-what? No, let me go! I don't even know you!"

He rummaged through his pocket with his free hand - completely ignoring her weak attempts to get away - and brought out his own keys, aiming it towards his car. The car's alarm gave away a shrill sound as it was deactivated and he reached over to open the nearest door. "Sit," he commanded, motioning towards the passenger seat.

Kagome huffed and reluctantly took a seat on the leather seat, legs dangling outside of the car while her back was turned towards the interior of the vehicle. "You won't get anything out of kidnapping me, you know. My family isn't wealthy and I have nothing to offer you!"

"Foot," he continued coarsely. He motioned at her injured ankle and held out his hand expectantly. As she threw another glare at him, he met it with a hard stare of his own and repeated his instruction with a bit more force behind it. "Your foot. Right here. _Now_, wench," he scowled impatiently.

She folded her arms over her chest and raised her leg just enough for him to grab a hold of her calf. Grimacing, she turned away as he inspected her ankle and carefully removed her shoe. A hiss erupted from her when he ran his fingertips over the swollen skin, the sensation causing a sizzle of pain to go through her entire foot.

"It's sprained."

"I could have told you that, genius!" Kagome snapped angrily, withdrawing her foot from his grasp.

He let out a heavy sigh, her behavior not the least bit surprising to him. "I'll take you home."

The defiant girl barely spluttered a "W-what?" before he had handed her the shoe, tucked her in safely and buckled her seatbelt. "I can get home on my own!"

"No, you can't."

"Yes, I can! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" she interjected, reaching for the seatbelt. She froze, however, when he leaned into the car and over her, so close that she could feel his breath on her face when he spoke with a firm tone, meant only for her ears.

"Listen, _bitch_," he growled. "You've had too much to drink and you're hurt. You should be so lucky that I found you before the cops did, or worse. You're in no shape to be driving, and I'm sure as hell not going to leave you here. The way I see it, you have two choices; you can either continue to fight me on this and we can spend the next eight or so hours stuck in this parking garage, or you can shut the fuck up and let me take you home so you can actually get some sleep."

The heat spread across her face and her cheeks flushed to a not-so-flattering pink color, mostly from the embarrassment of having him invade her personal space like that… but also because of the no-bullshit tone in his voice. Almost mechanically, she nodded and leaned back in her seat. She watched him closely as he closed the door, walked around to the driver's seat and got in. _Good one, Kagome._ _Got yourself into another mess, as usual_, she thought miserably, gripping her broken shoe tightly.

"Inuyasha."

Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and furrowed her brows in confusion. "What?"

"My name is Inuyasha," he reiterated quietly.

"Oh… I'm Kagome."

The faintest trace of a smile spread across his lips as the engine roared to life. "We're making progress. That's good."

* * *

Inuyasha felt himself weaken by every passing moment. He had no idea how he had gotten himself into this mess. One second he was driving the girl home, helping her to her door like a gentleman… the next, she was all over him like a hungry wolf. For a petite woman, and someone who had most likely consumed more alcohol than twice her body mass, she sure had enough posture and strength to knock a grown man off his feet. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind as he lay there on his back, on the floor in the hallway of her apartment, absolutely stunned to see the woman he had _just_ met straddling his hips. "K-Kagome, I don't think you want to be doing this," he tried, grabbing her by her arms to steady her as she hovered above him.

Naturally, the completely intoxicated woman paid his warning no mind. "Who are you to tell me what I do and don't want to do?" she purred, her nimble hands working the buttons on his shirt.

"I… ah… _shit,"_ he breathed as she readjusted her weight on his hips, grinding against him. "Kagome, you need to stop-" His plea came out as a hoarse whisper but quickly turned into a pleasurable groan when her hands found their way under his shirt, her cold fingertips brushing over his ribs. His head fell back against the carpet and he squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to fight his urges. "_Fuck_, woman, you're drunk!" he ground out as a chill worked its way down his spine.

"So? Stop trying to be chivalrous. I'm a grown woman," Kagome leaned over him, careful to keep her weight off her injured ankle. She brought her lips down against his in a fleeting and chaste kiss, pulling away just enough to barely whisper against his lips. "I know what I'm doing."

Inuyasha's eyelids fluttered open at the feel of her soft lips against his own, his control slipping entirely. "You have no idea…" he murmured and yanked her downwards by her arms, effectively closing the gap between them.

Kagome's breath hitched into a barely audible squeak when his lips crushed hers in a fervent kiss. He released his grasp on her arms and she barely had the time to register his hands sliding from her knees to her thighs, pushing her skirt up to her waist along with them, before he parted her mouth with his tongue to explore and taste her. Intoxication be damned, she could feel every muscle in his body tensing against her own, his touch scorching the exposed parts of her thighs.

To her, the world ceased to exist right then. The party, the alcohol, the merger, the pain in her ankle… none of it mattered. His lips, his touch, the soft brush of silver strands against her skin, the pleasurable shivers down her spine as he worked his hands underneath her blouse… she could think of nothing else.

A whimper of protest escaped her lips when he pulled away, and Kagome willed herself to open her eyes. His amber gaze had softened significantly and caused another rush of pleasant feelings to surge through her body, particularly one that settled perfectly in the pit of her stomach; desire. One of his hands rested idly on the curve of her hip while the other worked the very last button on her blouse. As the silky fabric loosened and came undone, she let out a soft breath.

Inuyasha's world was spinning. He stared in absolute wonder at the woman hovering just inches above him, marveling in the way her dark hair fell down around her face in a veil. The soft strands tickled his neck and tangled with his own tousled tresses into a mix of ebony and silver. Her breath heated his skin and almost instinctively, Inuyasha's hands slid up to her back and his arms secured tightly around her. Seconds later, he had them both rolled over, their positions reversed.

Pinning her underneath him, he rested the lower half of his body perfectly between her spread legs and nestled his face against the crane of her neck. Hesitant at first, he placed a feather light kiss on her neck, just above her collar bone, straining for any type of response from the woman. When she shifted underneath him and her legs drew up to wrap around his hips, his actions grew bolder. Kissing, licking and suckling on her creamy skin, his heart pounded in his chest when her physical response turned into a series of soft moans.

At least until his nose caught a strangely familiar scent hidden just underneath the trail of alcohol, vanilla and her spiking arousal.

A scent that he recognized instantly.

Lifting his head slightly, he brought his nose to her cheek and inhaled deeply. There it was, taunting him. _What the fuck? _He cursed inwardly. A wave of aversion quickly quelled his arousal and a dangerous growl rumbled deep within his chest.

Kagome's eyes shot open as the weight of his body on top of hers disappeared, her half-lidded gaze seeking his golden one in the darkness of her apartment. "Inuyasha…?" She found him standing by the wall, arms crossed rebelliously and a hard look in his eyes.

"Bitch, you _reek_ of my brother."

His retort was harsh, filled with venom. She pushed herself to a seating position and quickly covered her chest with her blouse. "Excuse me?" she snapped, his disrespectful tone awakening her rage.

"You think this is a joke? I can smell Sesshoumaru on you!" he barked. "How much did he pay you to seduce me?"

"Sesshoumaru? Seduce you?" Kagome struggled to get on her feet, swaying ever so slightly as she stood up and desperately re-adjusted her skirt. "I don't even know what the hell you're talking about."

"Cut the act," he bit back, with a hint of abhorrence. "I don't know what he's up to, but you can tell him that these tricks with his mindless little whores aren't going to work!"

Something within Kagome snapped, his words rippling through her. "Mindless whore?" she hissed. "How _dare_ you? I am no whore, you inconsiderate prick!"

His gaze held a mix of anger, confusion and desire as it trailed up and down her body. "You could have fooled me, the way you threw yourself at me!" he snarled and flinched ever so slightly when her hands fisted against her blouse, her petite form trembling from what he assumed could only be absolute fury. His assumptions turned out to be correct when her eyes narrowed dangerously and a slender hand flew up to point in the direction of the door.

"_Get out._"

"Fine." He wasted no time as he brushed past her, throwing the door open in his rush to leave.

A small gust of air hit Kagome when the door promptly slammed shut behind him, her anger quickly deflating. She sighed, feeling the effects of the alcohol bringing on a headache. Reaching up, she gingerly began to rub her temples.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru… they knew each other? Kagome mused over how upset Inuyasha had seemed; quite frankly, his anger had terrified her. She wondered what could cause such a great amount of distrust in a man. _No,_ she thought. Why did she care?

Because his touch and his kisses had invoked long buried feelings of desire within her… and his broad, muscular body had felt _so good_.

Kagome shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts, limping across the living room floor towards her bedroom. Recalling his harsh comments, she felt her anger flare again.

It was halfway through bandaging her injured ankle that all thoughts of the night's events came rushing back and Kagome froze. "Wait… Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha." Dread clouded her senses, and the pieces slowly fell into place. "Youkai…"

Her eyes widened in fear.

_Brothers…?_


	2. Weapon of choice: coffee

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or any of the other fictional characters, nor do I take any credit for the general fictional idea of which this story is based on.

* * *

**Half A Moment**_  
Chapter two  


* * *

_

Kagome groaned and squinted as sunlight trickled through the large overview windows of her office, bathing her in a glow and warmth that her body welcomed. Her head was pounding and the feeling of nausea lingered in the back of her throat, amplifying the already overwhelming misfortune that was her hangover. Leaning over, she folded her arms on her desk and rested her forehead atop her forearm, squeezing her eyes shut.

Memories of the previous night were slowly returning to her, one by one. That first shot glass was as clear as day, as well as the second and third… she could still feel the liquor burning her throat. She even remembered the incident with Sesshoumaru and the merger, although she would have gladly relinquished that particular memory if the option had been available.

Anything past that was still imprisoned within her foggy mind.

She had woken up to find herself sprawled awkwardly atop the covers on her bed that morning, still dressed in her work clothes. Her alarm clock had gone off on one of its daily routine tantrums at half past seven, much to her dismay. It had taken her all of her patience – which was severely lacking in quantity – not to bring the full extent of her wrath down upon the device. Fortunately, it was quite a sturdy piece of equipment, and being pounded on for the umpteenth time that month had not deterred it in the slightest.

Of course, her hangover had not made things any easier.

It was as if someone had struck her with a sledgehammer, a feeling that surprisingly only seemed to intensify as the hours slowly passed. Through showering, dressing for work and rummaging through her sad excuse of a fridge in search for food, she had vowed at least five times to never drink again.

The sixth time had been when she had finally left for work… sans her beloved car, which was not parked in its usual spot outside her building. Fortunately, she had found it in the parking garage upon arrival to the office, in a taxi, with no memories of why it had been left there in the first place.

Then again, if the effects of the previous night's drinking had caused such a blackout, she was glad that fate had stopped her from driving home while under the influence.

It was a beautiful day, just shy of ten in the morning and any ordinary person would have stopped to admire the snow-covered scenery just outside of the office windows. Kagome, however, was neither in the mood nor in the right frame of mind to appreciate such a view.

A firm tap on her door brought Kagome out of her thoughts. "What?" she ground out, her voice coming out muffled against her desk. The door was pushed open and an arm slid through the crack. Kagome glanced up to see the fingers of this person's hand grasping a steaming cup of her favorite brand of coffee. Instantly recognizing the trespasser, she sighed and plopped her forehead back down on atop her arms. "Go away, you traitor!"

The woman let out a sound akin to a snarl when she heard the door being pushed open. Her colleague appeared in the doorway, a slight frown disturbing his handsome face. He held up the cup of coffee, while balancing a second cup in his other hand. "Peace offering," he suggested, violet eyes dancing with mirth.

Kagome raised her head to shoot him a glare, one which he seemed to ignore entirely as he made his way into the room and set one of the cups down on her desk. Her eyes lingered momentarily on him before the tangy aroma of coffee drew her attention and she glanced at the cup. She worried her lower lip; he was too good at coaxing people into doing things, especially when he was seeking forgiveness, and she found it increasingly hard to resist his charms.

Kagome fought with her instincts, then finally caved. Reaching over, she carefully wrapped her fingers around the cup, sighing as the heat spread through her fingertips. "Fine, Miroku, but this doesn't mean that I forgive you."

A wide grin spread across her colleague's lips. "I can live with that."

Kagome snorted and brought the cup to her lips, sipping it quietly. Tossing a quick glance at her colleague, she noticed his disheveled appearance and scowled. He stood leaning against the large mahogany bookshelf by her desk, still clad in the same navy blue suit that he had appeared in at the party the previous night, the top two buttons undone and his tie loosened around his neck. "Who was she?" she inquired from behind her cup.

"Mmm?"

"The girl you ditched me for at the party last night. Who was she?" she spoke pointedly, choosing to disregard the roguish look in his eyes.

"I didn't catch her name, sadly, but she was quite… _entertaining_. She was a yoga instructor," he replied with an almost impish glee, brought his cup to his lips but then paused briefly to add, "_Very_ limber."

"Houshi!" Kagome exclaimed, feeling her cheeks flush at the very erotic images that invaded her mind. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and gave him an apologetic glance. "Sorry, I slipped."

Miroku flashed her a grin, delighted by how easily he could make her blush. "Nearly ten years of knowing you and I still haven't the faintest idea of why you keep calling me that." Reaching up with his free hand, he loosened his tie suggestively. "However… if it's a kinky fantasy of yours, I'd be more than happy to fulfill it," he offered in a low, husky tone, a chuckle rising in his throat as the blush on her cheeks gradually turned a darker shade of pink.

Lacking the appropriate comeback, Kagome spluttered out a pitched, "You wish!" and sunk lower into her seat. _Don't fall for his advances, Kagome. Be strong._

Miroku was undoubtedly handsome and could make practically any woman ooze with sexual desire, and Kagome could no longer count on her fingers the number of times that she had seriously considered acting on the carnal tension between them. But, she would smother her raging hormones each time and convince herself that their working relationship and long-lasting friendship was far too important to throw aside for one night of absolute bliss.

_I'm a damn prude, that's what I am. _Kagome furrowed her brows and sipped her coffee, wincing as the bitter taste sent a wave of nausea to her throat. Setting the cup down on her desk, she raked a shaky hand through her tousled hair and sighed.

"Kagome-sama," Miroku's voice brought her out of her daze and she gave him a quizzical look, surprised to find him leaning over her with his hands supporting his weight on her desk. "I see you've been keeping secrets." Reaching out, he brushed a few stray strands of her hair out of her face and behind her ear, quirking a dark eyebrow as the simple contact sent a shiver through the woman. "What is this on your neck?"

His query succeeded in catching Kagome's full attention. Her expression went from blank, to confused, and finally to mortified as her memory returned and image fractions of twin pools of amber and strong arms flashed before her eyes. _Oh gods… I didn't… _She squeezed her eyes shut, and squeaked out a throaty, _"What is it…?"_

Violet orbs danced with mirth. "A hickey."

At his declaration, Kagome sucked in a deep breath and flew out of her chair. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckfuckfuck_fuck_!"

Miroku straightened to his full height and watched the usually poised woman limp up to the mirror on the far wall. She pulled her dark hair into a makeshift ponytail and inspected the mark at the junction of her collarbone and neck. "Sweet Buddha, what happened to your foot?" he frowned and heaved a long sigh at her bandaged ankle. "How many drinks did you have last night, Kagome-sama?"

"Too many," the woman mumbled and whined pitifully while she poked and prodded at her neck.

A sudden sizzle from the office phone alerted the two to a new voice. _"Higurashi-san, the vice president has called to a meeting in conference room one."_

Miroku gave his colleague a sharp look, "I'm never letting you out of my sight again." He ignored the rather unfeminine snort from the woman and leaned over her desk to press the button on the speaker. "Thank you, Akiko-san. We'll be there in a minute."

"_Ah, Miroku-san!"_ came the assistant's response, an embarrassed pitch to it. _"I… I will let the vice president know immediately!"_

As the noise died off, a squeal carried into the office from outside and Kagome had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Please don't sleep with my assistant. I'd rather not have to fire her."

It was Miroku's turn to give an aberrant snort. "I can't make any promises," he intoned and reached out his hand. "Come, I'll help you to the conference room and you can tell me _all_ about last night."

A groan escaped Kagome's lips and she reluctantly placed her hand in his, smoothing her hair with her free hand to hide the blemish on her neck. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, unless you would like for me to entertain myself in other ways."

The woman turned to glower at him and yanked her hand from his grasp, not knowing if he was referring to his previous comment about her assistant or if he was suggesting less than professional activities with Kagome herself. Unwilling to take any chances either way, she brought her finger up to point at him and spoke starkly. "Fine, but your hands better not wander, you pervert." Her gaze darkened as he brought a hand to his chest in a gesture of mock disbelief.

"Kagome-sama, why, I would never- wait, where are you going? The conference room is on the other side of the building! You're going to injure yourself again!"

"_I'll take my chances!"_

Miroku rushed out of the office in pursuit of his coworker, swinging the door shut after him.

* * *

As Kagome had expected, they had been called to the meeting to discuss the upcoming merger. Her boss, several members of the legal department – including Nagano, much to her dismay – and liaisons from Sesshoumaru's company were present, along with the senior directors and executives from their own corporation. They spent roughly two excruciating hours in that conference room, consulting on the changes to come over the next year, including marketing and financial adjustments, as well as plans for a geographical relocation.

For Kagome, the merger meant more work for her and forced associations with people that she did not care much for, something she was beginning to dread more and more as the hours passed. The legal department would be working closely with the senior directors and executives of both companies, which meant late nights at the office and communication with all members of the legal team, including the creep Nagano.

That thought alone had made her want to hurl again.

The rest of the day had been spent rather peacefully at the office, preparing for the upcoming conference calls and meetings with the representatives from Sesshoumaru's company. Miroku had continued to pester her about the previous night, refusing to leave her alone until she had finally cracked and told him about it, leaving out the details about youkai and the fact that the man she had practically assaulted in her drunken haze had been the brother of their soon-to-be superior.

Kagome raised a hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun's rays. It was just past five o'clock in the evening, the day before Christmas Eve, and the sun had begun to set over the horizon, bathing the snow-covered lands in a radiance of different shades.

She smiled fondly at the sight of the Higurashi shrine before her as she stood leaning against Miroku's car, waiting for her colleague to finish unloading the bag of Christmas presents they had brought with them so they could begin the trek up the massive flight of steps. "Mama is going to be so happy to see you," she spoke cheerfully and clasped her gloved hands together.

"Aa, I look forward to seeing her again, as well," he replied, gripped the handle of the bag tightly and closed the car door with his foot. The car alarm let out a discordant noise as it was activated, and Miroku moved swiftly across the pavement to where Kagome now stood by the base of the steps. "Will you be all right climbing these steps, Kagome-sama?"

She threw him a brilliant smile and took a brave step forward. "Yes! Now quit bugging me. I've been running up and down these steps since I was a little girl!" Lifting her injured foot, she carefully set it down on the first step and hobbled her way up. However, her balance faltered just as quickly on the frost and her foot caved from the pressure. Kagome's russet eyes widened as she fell backwards helplessly, her heart skipping a beat when a strong arm wrapped around her waist and tucked her closely against a firm chest.

"You really must stop falling for me, Kagome-sama," Miroku spoke hoarsely against her ear, stifling a chuckle as the girl flushed and swatted at his arm. "Here, allow me."

Kagome raised a dark eyebrow when he promptly handed her the bag of presents. "What are you doing? M-Miroku!" She yelped as he expertly swept her up in his arms and cradled her, beginning their long journey up the steps. "Miroku, put me down!"

"As soon as we reach the house."

"Put me down this insta- Hands _off_ the thigh, you pervert!" A rather impressive growl escaped her lips when his hand adeptly slipped underneath her coat to rest against her skirt-clad thigh. He flashed a smirk and bounced her slightly in his arms to readjust her weight, earning a shriek from the woman as her slender arms reached up to wrap tightly around the back of his neck for support, the presents half-pinned safely between their bodies. "I am going to kill you!" she hissed.

A bright, violet gaze met hers and the woman found herself shrinking under the effects of Miroku's arrogance. "Then I will die a happy man."

Kagome opened her mouth to counter with a less than amiable remark, but found herself interrupted by the voice of one of the very few people they had come to see.

"Ah, Kagome! Miroku!"

The pair looked up to see Mama Higurashi come bustling out of the house, arms widened to beckon her daughter into an embrace. Kagome immediately wiggled herself out of Miroku's hold and handed him the wrapped gifts before ambling into her mother's awaiting arms. "Mama! I've missed you!" she murmured against her mother's shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of what was 'home'.

"It's been too long," her mother spoke softly, patting her daughter's back soothingly and running her free hand through Kagome's ebony tresses. They stood there for a while, enjoying the embrace, when a deep cough resounded from behind Kagome. Glancing up, Kagome's mother laid eyes upon the man towering just behind them and opened her arms as best she could, welcoming him with a soft, "Miroku… come give us a hug."

A sense of warmth washed over the dark-haired business man and he smiled. Drawn to the safety and comfort of a mother's embrace, Miroku joined them, wrapping his arms around the woman who had taken him in as her own nearly ten years ago, and thus, effectively sandwiching Kagome between the two of them. He grinned as a small laugh and finally a happy sigh erupted from his friend when she relaxed between them, all previous frustration and anger forgotten.

"Onee-chan?"

Kagome peeked over her mother's shoulder and burst into a jovial squeal. Ducking under Miroku's arms, she reluctantly left the warm cocoon and hobbled towards the house where her younger brother stood by the door, a crooked smile curled on his lips. "Souta!"

Souta rushed to meet her halfway and captured her in his arms, spinning her around in circles. He set her down cautiously, and Kagome reached up to ruffle his dark hair affectionately, to which he squirmed a little and let out a child-like whine. "You're so tall!" his sister exclaimed, her own height barely reaching past his shoulders.

"He's grown plenty since you were last home, Kagome," her mother stated with a fond smile.

Souta scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "You saw me a couple of months ago. I really haven't grown much since then," he supplied with a wide grin, petting the top of Kagome's head as he marveled at how much smaller his sister now seemed compared to years ago when he was a but a child.

"You've grown into a fine young man, Souta-kun."

Souta's smile widened. "Miroku onii-sama!" Extending his hand, he eagerly shook the business man's hand.

Mama Higurashi clasped her hands together loudly and gathered them all up. "Come, come! Your grandfather is inside the house, waiting to greet you. Souta, get the bag for Miroku," she nodded briefly at the bag in the business man's hold and her son immediately reached out to take it. "Hurry inside, it's cold out!" She quickly steered the three of them into the house.

A joyous greeting with Kagome's grandfather and a number of hugs and laughs later, the five of them were sitting around the dinner table in the Higurashi kitchen, enjoying the meal that Kagome's mother had prepared for them.

Kagome heaved a contented sigh and carefully set aside her empty bowl of rice. "I've missed this," she thought aloud, reveling at how little her childhood home had changed over the years.

"I realize that you two are awfully busy with work and your travels, but if you would visit more often, we could make it a regular thing. Holidays are sadly far and few between," her mother suggested cordially.

Miroku shot her an eager look across the table. "There are going to be some changes occurring at work, so I don't believe that we will be traveling nearly as much as we have been."

"What kind of changes?" Souta piped up, mouth full of food.

Kagome scrunched her nose in disgust at her brother's lack of manners. Her mother, immediately noticing her son's horrible etiquette, reached out to capture his chin between her fingers, receiving a pitiful grumble from the young male. "Manners, Souta," their mother scolded and released him when he swallowed and mumbled an apology.

Miroku cleared his throat to ward off a snicker. "Some structural changes."

Grampa Higurashi eyed the two of them skeptically. "I hope that halfwit boss of yours gave you both a raise."

"A promotion? Oh, Kagome, that's wonderful!" Her mother grasped Kagome's hand excitedly, giving it a squeeze.

"Ah, no promotions," Kagome interjected apologetically.

"… A demotion?"

Kagome turned to glower at her brother. "Souta, quit making assumptions."

"What? You're being all secretive, so I had to ask!"

"Well, it's rude!" she huffed indignantly.

Miroku held up his hands in an effort to bring about some order. "No demotions, fortunately. A relocation of sorts, that's all." Well, it was at least partly true.

The merger would undoubtedly cause a media circus, especially considering the reputation of the company they were integrating with. Sesshoumaru was well known for the many acquisitions of various firms, but never for _merging_ with one. They had been strictly instructed to keep quiet about the company changes until a scheduled press conference.

While he trusted the Higurashi family to not go around sharing any kind of sensitive information, there really was no point in giving them bits of information when even they, the employees, did not have the full scope of the changes that were in store for them.

"Well, that sounds exciting nonetheless!" Mama Higurashi scooted her chair back and began gathering the empty plates and bowls when Miroku's hand on her arm stilled her.

"I'll clean up," he offered with a smile and stood from his seat.

Mama Higurashi quickly shook her head. "Nonsense, you've been working all day. Why don't you all go decorate the tree while I take care of these? Kagome, you know where the decorations are." Standing on her toes, she reached up to lovingly pat Miroku's cheek when he opened his mouth to protest. "You're sweet, Miroku, but really, I'm fine. I'll have these done in a hurry. Go relax." To emphasize her point, she turned to the rest of the family. "All of you, shoo."

On cue, three of the Higurashi members piled into the hallway to get their coats and jackets. Miroku lingered for a moment and pulled the older woman into an almost bone crushing hug. "You are a spectacular woman, Higurashi-sama."

"And you are quite the charmer. Now, out of my sight!" She shooed him out of the kitchen and laughed, happy to have her family gathered under one roof again. "Ah, Kami-sama," she crooned aloud when he was out of earshot, tilting her head up to face the ceiling. "If you would grant this mother the opportunity to choose a husband for her daughter, my choice would be him."

Giving a blissful sigh, Mama Higurashi began clearing the table.

* * *

**Author's notes: **If you find any grammatical or spelling errors in the chapter, please let me know and I'll correct them as soon as I am able to.

I've rewritten this chapter so many times, and I still am very unhappy with it. Ah well, might as well get it out of my system while I have the chance so I can focus on moving on to bigger and better things. :D

Quick explanation of things that may seem confusing; I purposefully made it so Miroku doesn't have a last name in this story, because making up a surname for him when canon never gave him one makes me cringe. Number two, Kagome and Miroku use the -sama honorifics for one another, despite being very close friends. The reason for this is because I wanted it to stay true to the canon story where they speak very politely to one another, especially Miroku. Despite his lecherous ways, he has good manners and never really seems to address people on a more personal and intimate level unless he feels comfortable around them.

Besides... he seems more Miroku-ish this way, I think.

This chapter was more so supposed to be a filler than anything... but I felt myself swaying towards a Kagome/Miroku pairing while writing the interaction between the two of them. Ah, what to do, what to do! I still find the Inuyasha/Kagome and Miroku/Sango pairings favorable, but this opened up so many new and interesting possibilities!

On a different note, should I continue this story or no? Let me know what you think.

_Review_ and I'll love you forever.


End file.
